Decoy
by j.heller
Summary: The Agents are taken and tortured with no apparent cause. But Mulder and Scully soon learn that appearances can be decieving as they uncover a greater truth.
1. Chapter 1

"We were set up. On Tuesday night, December 22nd, I received a phone call instructing Agent Scully and myself to go to Washington Park at 7:00 PM. We were to meet with a man who called himself 'The Red Mole.' He claimed that he had inside knowledge that would help clarify the information on a disk that we had just received. But when we went there, no one was waiting for us, and Agent Scully assumed that it was a sham. I insisted that we should take a quick look around to make sure that we didn't miss him.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, we were apprehended by a group of men. They took Agent Scully, bound and gagged her, shoved her into a nearby car and then they did the same to me. I think the rest sir … hardly needs explanation. You can see what they did. They nearly killed us and for what? The information that's on that damned disk. I need to find out what it all means. I need to know what all of this was for."

Assistant Director Walter Skinner tried to understand everything that his agent was telling him. It was mostly full of half-truths. He knew that Mulder was tired and recovering, stressed and worried but he still needed to get to the bottom of the situation. Skinner knew the basic facts. On December 23rd, Agents Mulder and Scully failed to report for work. He rang their home and cell phones but to no avail. During his lunch break, Skinner dropped by their apartments, called upon the building supervisor to open the doors, but was still left answerless. Their apartments were untouched as far as Skinner could tell. Mulder's had the same messes and Scully's was clean as usual.

Skinner brushed off his agents' failure to appear for work as a minor disturbance. Nothing had indicated foul play; perhaps he would receive a phone call later in the day explaining their absence.

In the afternoon, Skinner received the phone call he expected but it was news that he feared the most. A local policeman, whose daily route included Washington Park, noted Mulder's blue sedan during his first round of the day. When hours later he returned for another round and the car was still there, the policeman took initiative and broke into the car. Inside he found Mulder and Scully's badges and immediately contacted the FBI.

Skinner's worst fears were realized. He instantly faxed Mulder and Scully's pictures to all local law enforcement offices and told them to be on the lookout. Foul play was suspected but not yet confirmed. The next step would be the most difficult. For years Skinner admired Scully's inner strength and when he first met her mother, he understood where it all came from. At times, the elderly Scully seemed fragile and ready to break, but like her daughter, she always put on a strong face when needed.

He needed to make that call. With Christmas just around the corner, Skinner hesitated to dampen their spirits but he knew that when Scully did not show up to celebrate the holiday, worry would arise anyway. Taking a deep breath, Skinner composed himself and tried to assume a professional quality in his voice. He dialed the number found on Agent Scully's emergency contact card and was greeted by a cheerful voice on the other line.

It was her brother, Bill. Skinner grew even more anxious. He had hoped that Mrs. Scully would have answered the phone so he could just get it over with. He had even hoped that no one was home so he didn't have to deal with all the emotions involved. Skinner, with an unwavering tone, asked for Mrs. Scully and in a few moments he was greeted by her warm hello.

He had failed to inform Bill who he was and since Bill failed to ask, Skinner began the difficult task of reintroducing himself in the Scully's lives. As soon as he said his name, the tone in Mrs. Scully's voice changed. Perhaps she too realized that Skinner only involved himself in their lives when Dana was in danger. He quickly, yet clearly, explained the situation to Mrs. Scully. There was no real reason to panic, he claim, stating that though they were missing, there was no real evidence that harm was done unto Mulder and Scully. It was plausible that they could have just run off together – maybe …

After the phone call, Skinner found himself exhausted and was glad that the day was nearly over. He contemplated about leaving early, having sent home a few agents under him already to get a head start on the holidays. But there was something nagging him in the back of his mind to check Mulder and Scully's apartments one more time before he called it a day. The state of their apartments had troubled him. Though unchanged in appearance, there was an eeriness that resonated throughout.

Seeing that it was after four o'clock in the afternoon, Skinner decided to call it a day. He dismissed his secretary and prepared to lock up his office. Before leaving the Hoover building, he swung by the famed basement office, used his skeleton key to get in, and found it untouched. There were piles of paperwork everything. The size of the office was not fit for two people and though often rumored to contain only one desk, Skinner spied Scully's corner.

Her desk was rather a table brought down from the cafeteria, stolen one day on a high. Skinner remembered reprimanding his agents but did nothing else to return the table to its proper place. Mulder filed a request form with the supply manager for another desk soon after, but it had been circulating in that office for nearly two years. Neither Mulder nor Scully got the respect they deserved from their peers and only a handful of agents considered it to be a shame.

Skinner followed his instinct and on the way home, he first stopped by Scully's apartment. The building supervisor spotted him on the way in and walked him up to Scully's floor. The key was inserted and the door was opened, but this time, there was clear evidence that someone had been in the apartment. The supervisor claimed that he had kept his eye on Scully's apartment all day and saw no one leave or enter. Skinner brushed off the man and entered the apartment.

It was a mess. Scully would have been horrified. The seat cushions of her sofa were torn open and the stuffing was all over the place. Lamps were smashed, cabinets were open and all of their contents were spilled on the floor. There was broken glass everywhere. Paper was scattered throughout the floor. In the bedroom, her clothes were thrown around. The dressers were dumped out. Photo frames were violated. In short, nothing was left unturned, unopened, or untouched.

"Oh shit."

It was the only thing Skinner could say. It was the only thing he could think of. It was now clear to him that Mulder and Scully's disappearance was more problematic than he would admit to himself. There was only one thing he could think of after surveying the aftermath on the invasion – Skinner needed to get to Mulder's apartment.

On the way out, Skinner gave the supervisor strict instructions and left him his number in case anything else came up. He jetted out of the building and slipped into his car. Skinner drove like a madman, hoping that if he was pulled over, his high rank at the FBI would get him out of any more trouble. When he arrived at Mulder's apartment complex, he quickly grabbed the building super and was let into the unit.

The scene was the same. Skinner wondered who was involved and what they were looking for. Undoubtedly he would find out sooner or later, but the timing of his agents' disappearance couldn't be worse. He collapsed onto Mulder's couch and buried his head in his hands. It was too much for him to handle. Skinner closed his eyes in an effort to find temporary relief and instead he found himself drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Scully, it's me. Pick up. It's important."

She ran from the bathroom to answer the phone.

"Sorry. I had the hairdryer on. What's up?"

"I just got another call."

"From the same source?"

"Yea. 'The Red Mole' wants us to meet him at Washington Park in an hour."

"About what?"

"I don't know, but he said to bring the disk … Listen Scully, I know that you don't trust him and I know he gives no reason for me to trust him either, but he already helped us out once. I think this man just wants to know the truth as much as we do."

"Mulder, it just seems too easy …"

"I know."

"I mean, that disk just appears on your door and we're supposed to believe that it's the key to everything we've been working for? It's just …"

"Listen, Scully, I'm on my way to pick you up. Just be ready."

Mulder arrived in record time. He asked Scully if she had the disk and she replied that it was in her coat pocket. The ride to the park was in silence. Mulder's thoughts were filled with both apprehension and eagerness. One the one hand, Scully was correct in her assumptions. The disk had fallen into their hands with little difficulty. On the other side of the argument, Mulder was ecstatic in coming across such evidence. Somehow, he felt that if only he could decrypt the information on the hisk, it could validate his work.

When they arrived at the park, it was still early. There was fifteen minutes to spare. A few minutes had passed when Scully spoke.

"Mulder, I just want you to be careful. Some of your sources in the past – they've misled you."

Mulder was taken back by Scully's candidness.

"I know Scully but it's just …"

"… too good to be true."

He knew that she was right, but it was too late to turn back now.

"It's nearly seven. Are you sure this is the spot?"

"Yea. He said to meet in the parking lot – that he'd find us."

Another minute passed. 7:00. Then 7:01, 7:02, 7:03.

"Maybe he's not coming."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Just then they were momentarily blinded by the headlights of a car pulling up behind them.

"It's show time."

Mulder started to get out of the car and Scully followed, but the doors were barely opened when they were apprehended. Men, dressed in black, forced the doors open and pulled out the agents. Mulder tried to fight them off but found that they easily overpowered him. When he heard Scully's cry, his attention was immediately directed towards her.

Scully had somehow managed to break free from the man who was holding her and instantly reached for her gun. But before she could aim, Scully felt an impact to the back of her head. She let out grunt and watched as the gun was pulled out of her hand. Before she knew it, Scully was back into one of the men's grasp. She reached her hand up to the point of impact and felt some blood. Her eyes began to droop but she struggled in vain to keep them open. As she faded, Scully heard Mulder's voice calling out to her.

Though he did not actually see it happen, Mulder saw the man who hit Scully lower his arm and he saw the butt of the gun that hit her. He stood helplessly by as he watched his partner be gagged and bound. Taking advantage of the distracted man, Mulder's captors quickly worked to bind him, but when he felt the cold handcuffs around his wrists, Mulder began retaliating once more.

"Scully! Scully!"

Getting tired of his struggles and cries, the same man who hit Scully did the same to Mulder. Before succumbing to darkness, Mulder felt himself be padded down and saw the same done to Scully. Their captors hurriedly left the scene, shoving the agents into the back of their van before driving away.


	3. Chapter 3

The throbbing in his head only intensified as Mulder's eyes opened and began to take in his surroundings. They were in a dimly lit room, spacious and dank. Mulder felt Scully's form next to him. He took in her condition; the hit on her head was more severe than his own. Mulder noted the matted hair entangled with blood on the point of impact; he only hoped that the hit wasn't too damaging.

His hands were still cuffed together, but he was no longer gagged and so was Scully. Mulder sat up with much difficulty, working through the pain in his head and trying not to disturb Scully.

"You're awake I see."

"Who said that?"

"Over here. The wall opposite from you."

"You're voice. I know you."

"I'm sorry about all of this Agent Mulder. This was not of my design."

"You're the Red Mole."

"You are correct."

"Where are we?"

"In a house, somewhere in Martha's Vineyard with quite the basement I suppose."

"This is no time for jokes."

"Who said I was joking?"

Mulder struggled to get up and maneuvered his body so his cuffed arms could be in front of him. He squinted to try and get a better look at 'The Red Mole' but the room was too poorly lit. Hesitating for a moment, Mulder made his way across the room. What he found was an elderly man, at least in his sixties, beaten and chained to the wall.

"As you can see Agent Mulder, they take no special care for the aging."

Mulder bent down to the man's level.

"What are you thinking Agent Mulder? There's a look of anger in your eyes."

"It's your fault that we're stuck here. You led them to us."

"Is that so? Then explain to me why I'm in the same situation you are."

"You're a decoy. They stuck you down here to fool me."

'The Red Mole' laughed.

"Is everything always centered around you? Take a look around Agent Mulder. You and Agent Scully aren't the only ones they're after. I was deceived just as you were. My eagerness to help you is true and it still burns and just as I was a source to you, I have sources of my own. When I leaked that disk to you, I suspected that something was brewing. I obtained too easily and when I passed it on, I knew that they were watching me.

As soon as I dropped of the disk at your apartment, I was apprehended and taken to this place. They're cruel, merciless people Agent Mulder. You can see what they've done to me and you can trust they'll do the same to you."

For the first time, Mulder examined the man in front of him. He had badly beaten, bruised from head to toe. His clothes were torn revealing welts and cuts and burn marks. 'The Red Mole's' wrists were chaffed from the shackles and there was evidence that his legs were once bound as well.

"Okay, fine. Say I believe you. Who are they?"

"That, I'm afraid, I do not know."

Just then, a door opened, and Mulder stepped back.

"Ah! Agent Mulder, I seen you've meet our mutual friend."

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"That is none of your concern. Now, step away from our friend before I decided to hurt you."

The man made his way down the long staircase. He was tall and large in statue, obviously made for causing pain. Mulder stepped back without a second thought. When he reached Scully, she began to stir, but Mulder's attention was diverted to 'The Red Mole.' The man who had just entered unchained him from the wall and dragged him away.

With 'The Red Mole' gone, Mulder attended to Scully. She was moving a little, but her eyes had yet to open.

"Scully?"

His plea elicited no response. Mulder brushed his hand across Scully's cheek and began to arrange themselves in a more comfortable position. At the end of his work, Mulder had his back against the wall with Scully's head positioned onto his lap.

"Wake up Scully. Please, wake up."


	4. Chapter 4

When Scully finally awoke, she did not find herself in the best of circumstances. Her head was pounding and she was freezing. The temperature in the basement was less than inviting.

"Mulder?"

"Scully?"

He had left her side to investigate the room. With 'The Red Mole' gone and Scully unconscious, Mulder had a lot to think about. Supposing they were set up, why were they taken in the first place? If it was the disk they wanted, it could have been retrieved through different means. Mulder began to wonder what was on that disk. He had intended to get it analyzed right away, but his paranoid mind told him to wait. The Lone Gunmen were inconveniently out of town having gone to a convention. When Mulder did insert the disk into his own computer, nothing but encrypted data showed up.

"Mulder, where are we?"

He quickly strode over to Scully's side. She tried to push herself up a bit but experienced a bit of difficulty because her hands here still cuffed behind her back.

"In a basement somewhere, I think."

"I heard you talking to someone earlier. Who was it?"

"It was our source Scully. Whoever did this to us got to him too."

"'The Mole?'"

Mulder helped Scully into a comfortable position. He wanted to delay as long as possible.

"Mulder, was 'The Red Mole' here?"

He nodded.

"Where is he now?"

"They took him away."

And as if to justify Mulder's answer, screams made its way to the basement. More soon followed until after a few minutes it stopped.

Scully looked at Mulder in the eye. Hers were filled with panic. The cries she just heard were unlike any other. They were a combination of fear and pain, tinged with anger, rage, and despair. They were the cries of a man who ceased to control his own life and the only thing he could do was watch it end.

"Scully, I …"

Before Mulder could say anymore, the basement door opened once more. The same man as before stepped in, however, this time he wore a white butcher's apron which was splattered with blood.

"Agent Scully, I'm glad to see you're up."

He made his way down the stairs, never once taking his eyes off the agents below. When he neared them, the man reached into his back pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Then he pulled Scully off the floor, turned her so that she faced Mulder and took the handcuffs off. Instinctively, Scully massaged her sore wrists as soon as possible, thankful for the relief, but apprehensive to the man's motives.

"Forgive my manners, Agent Scully. Since we'll be intimate for the next few hours, I believe that I should introduce myself. My colleagues called me 'The Butcher,' but you my dear may simply call me Butch."

Butch then continued to turn Scully around once more so this time, she was facing him. He cracked a smile and Scully saw his ragged teeth, full of chips and gold caps. She felt his hands glide over her shoulders and she shook in fear as he began to take of her overcoat. The coat fell to the ground and then Butch proceeded to remove her suit jacket.

Mulder watch all this happen before him, noticing that Butch was shifting his eye contact between Scully and himself. He tried to restrain himself, in the fear that Butch might do something rash if he acted out, but when Butch began to unbutton Scully's blouse, Mulder could not help himself. He hoisted himself to his feet, cursing at Butch, and advanced towards him but stopped in his tracks when Butch quickly pulled out a switchblade.

"I have no reservations in hurting beautiful women, Agent Mulder."

And as if to make his point, Butch deftly ran the blade through Scully's arm, creating a deep cut. Mulder was conflicted as he watched the blood pour out and stained Scully's shirt. He wanted to strangle Butch but he knew that he was no match for the brute. Instead, Mulder stepped back and did his best to divert his anger.

Butch put the switchblade away and continued undressing Scully. He finished unbuttoning her blouse, took it off, and watched it fall. His hands then worked on her pants, first the button then the zipper. Butch let his hands follow as the pants fell to the floor. He could fell Scully tremble through the material and a crooked smile emerged on his face. Finally, Butch lifted Scully's foot up, one at a time, to remove both her pants and shoes. When he was done, he stepped back and admired the figure before him.

Scully stood, painfully aware of her sudden partial nakedness, thankful that he did not remove her underwear – at least not yet. She was unsure of what to do with her hands. Her medical mind told her that she needed to put pressure on that cut as the blood continued to steadily flow out, but her woman's mind said to cover up; use her arms to hide her body. Confused, Scully remained still, feeling the eyes of Butch examining her.

After taking her in, Butch laughed, pushed Scully aside, and headed for Mulder. He gave a sharp whistle and two more men entered the room. They rushed to Butch's side, however both stopped to admire Scully before aiding their companion.

Unlike his approach with Scully, Butch did not first uncuff Mulder. Instead he and his cohorts began tearing the clothes off Mulder's body. He struggled a little but it was difficult to fight back. When they were done, Butch took Mulder by the hands, and dragged him over to the other side of the room. He hooked his handcuffs onto a chain dangling nearby. Then, one of Butch's cronies pushed a button hidden on the wall which slightly elevated Mulder off the ground. When they made sure that Mulder was secured onto the wall, the men retrieved Scully.

In the meantime, Scully had managed to rip off a strip of cloth off her blouse but had difficulty in wrapping it around her wound. Butch grabbed her with little resistance and his men cuffed her. When they were done, Scully was also dangling from the wall.

Stepping back to survey their work, Butch and his men whispered comments into each others ears, some remarks eliciting grins and malicious stares.

"Agents, if you'll pardon me and my compatriots, we'll be taking leave of you for a brief moment. I hope you'll enjoy this reprieve. Trust me, when we're through with you, you'll be wishing you were dead."


	5. Chapter 5

Scully's stomach growled. After leaving work that day, she hurried to the crowded malls for some last minute Christmas shopping. When she got home, Scully neglected to have dinner, opting for a warm bath instead. Mulder called as soon as she finished blow drying her hair so she hastened to get ready. Scully regretted that decision now, wishing that she had heeded to her hunger.

"Damn it!"

Mulder was caught off guard by his partner's exclamation. They had been hanging there for a little over an hour, wondering what was taking Butch and his cohorts so long to return, but thankful for the time alone.

"Damn it."

Mulder turned his head in an attempt to face Scully. Her own head was semi-pointed to the ceiling.

"Mulder, I can't feel my arms anymore. I can see them, but I can't feel them."

Scully wiggled around a bit hoping the movement might rejuvenate her arms.

"How's the cut?"

Mulder didn't know what else to say.

"I think it stopped bleeding."

"That's good."

Silence, sighs, and screams of frustration.

"Scully?"

"I'm tired, Mulder. I'm tired and I'm hungry and I'm cold and, to be honest, I think we're going to die here. They're not going to let us leave this place alive, and if they do, we'll be half-dead before we see sunlight. This is it Mulder. It's the end of the line."

Mulder was speechless. He had never seen Scully so vulnerable before. It frightened him to see her lose hope. Scully was the one he leant on for support and strength. She was always so … dependable for her strength. Even in times of despair, Mulder felt that Scully was always able to be the stronger of the two – at least emotionally. But now she was broken.

"Scully, we'll get out of here, I promise."

Scully scoffed.

"Look at us Mulder. We're dangling from a wall in our underwear. They're probably getting off from us right now and when they come back, they'll probably want to … fuck …"

Mulder was taken aback by Scully language and her frankness.

"Scully, I won't let them … I won't let them rape you."

"Mulder, I'm scared. I don't want to die. Not here, not now."

The words came out in intervals. She was bawling.

"Scully, I won't let you die."

She turned to face Mulder, her face streaked with tears. Then she laughed. It was a stifled chuckle at first but then it progressed to a full laugh. Mulder watched, stunned at Scully's sudden change in emotion. He could not help but share in the laughter, though unaware of its origins.

"No, Mulder, you won't let me die."

Their laughter abated and an air of seriousness returned.

"Mulder, I …"

Scully's train of thought of cut off by the opening of the door. They saw Butch enter the room, followed by his two companions, who were each carrying a folding table and a duffel bag. At the end of the staircase, Butch reached over and flicked on the lights while his cohorts began to set up.

"My apologies for the delay agents. A pressing matter came up suddenly which needed my immediate attention, but now … but now I'm all yours."

He then strolled over to his companions and examined the instruments they set out.

"It's a pity really. These tools are just child's play. You see agents, there's someone watching out for you up there. Or else, most of my favorite toys would be here right now. You'd be amazed what I can do with a chainsaw."

After surveying his choices, Butch settled on a syringe filled with a purple liquid. He closed in on Mulder and Scully while ridding the syringe of any bubbles.

"It's a shame that I only have one of these left. Now, who shall be the lucky recipient?"

Mulder and Scully eyed each other, neither one speaking up. The Butcher caught sight of their exchanges and made his decision. He plunged the syringe into Scully's arm but before he injected the liquid into her system, Mulder spoke up.

"You son of a …"

"Don't you dare speak to me in that manner!"

Butch then pulled out the syringe of Scully's arm and stuck it in Mulder's arm. He did not hesitate injecting the liquid. When he did not feel it's affects at first, Mulder breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that it was just colored water, but when he felt his insides burn, he could not help but scream. It was as if Mulder could literally feel his blood boil and there was nothing he could do about it.

"What was in it? What did you do to him?"

Butch did not answer Scully's questions. Instead he stood by, taking pleasure in watching Mulder squirm in pain. After a brief while, Butch went back to his tools and picked up another instrument. He held it to the light so Scully could see what he had chosen.

"This, I believe, you are quite familiar with Agent Scully."

Scully watched as he stepped closer to him; her eyes never left the object in his hands. Her breathing increased as Butch raised his hand. She felt the scalpel cut through her skin. He was working his way down, demonstrating his skill with the surgical knife while destroying the left side of her body. The cut traced down from her forehead down to her feet. Butch created swirls and curls and took pleasure in watching the blood escape through the wound; he took in extra pleasure when he needed to work over Scully's preexisting wound. When he reached her Scully's leg, Butch expertly carved in the numbers 03604 in a straight downward line.

During the entire time, Scully refused to let out a sound, fearing that any indication of pain would only excite Butch. Instead, she switched her focus between his movements and Mulder's. The effects of the liquid were thankfully wearing off. Mulder twitched less and less and a look of relief swept over his face. But the relief did not last long. As soon as Butch was done with Scully, he placed the scalpel down and whispered instructions into his cohort's ears.

One of them quickly ran out of the room and returned with a baseball bat in hand. He first stepped up to Scully and swung the bat into her untouched leg. She felt her bones crack and could not help but let out a scream.

"No!"

Mulder instantly reacted when he saw the bat rise a second time. This time the swing was aimed at her abdomen. The bat contacted with her body, and this time, Scully could feel ribs break as the wind was stolen from her. Satisfied with his accomplishments, the man stepped aside and pressed a button that lowered Scully to the floor. She fell with a thump. Instantly, Scully tried to curl herself into ball, hoping to ward off anymore attacks, but the pain was too intense to move. Butch grabbed Scully by her cuffed hands and easily pulled her up.

"You're coming with me, sweets."

He threw Scully over one shoulder and proceeded to leave the room. The bashing served its purpose; Scully could not gather enough strength to even struggle the tiniest bit.

"Scully! If you hurt her, I swear …"

Butch stopped at the top of the stairs and turned around.

"Swear what Agent Mulder? If you can't see, I've already hurt her – broken her. Don't threaten me Agent Mulder. You don't want to see me angry."

With those words, Butch gave a silent signal to his men below. The man with the bat readied his swing and hit Mulder in the stomach with an uncanny force.

"Do with him what you like. Just remember our promise."

Butch opened the door and disappeared. The man took one more swing at Mulder before letting go of the bat. He returned to the table and picked up a pair of brass knuckles. His partner already held a whip in his hands. They released Mulder from his confines and began their carnage. Through the cement walls, Mulder could hear Scully's cries and he was positive that she could hear his.


	6. Chapter 6

Margaret Scully could not believe what she was hearing. Her daughter was gone – missing again but this time Fox was gone as well. She nearly collapsed to the floor after hanging up the phone but luckily, Bill was standing nearby and caught his mother. He led her into the living room and sat her down on a sofa. After getting a glass of water, he asked what was wrong.

Though eager to share in the news, Margaret Scully knew of her son's disdain towards his sister's partner. The smallest mention of Fox Mulder could easily send Bill into a tirade of why the FBI was not the proper place for his sister. But she needed to tell him; after all, it was the holidays.

"Dana … is missing."

"What?"

"She's missing. She's no where to be found Bill."

Bill was in disbelief. His immediate reaction was exactly what Mrs. Scully expected.

"It's that partner's fault. I know it. I can …"

"It's not Fox's fault Bill. He's gone too."

"Then he's the one who took her."

"Bill!"

He looked at his mother in the eyes, something that he hadn't done since childhood. Bill tried to convey earnest concern for Dana while working with Mulder but Mrs. Scully did not believe it.

"He cares for her Bill."

Hearing it from his mother only confirmed his worst fears. To be honest, Bill Scully could never really pinpoint the true reason of why he hated Fox Mulder so much. He knew that nearly everything bad that happened to his family in recent years was attributed to him, but he also knew that his mother and sister, both alive and departed, had faith in him – and for them, it was enough.

Mrs. Scully excused herself and went up into her room. The closed the door behind her and she automatically picked up the phone and dialed Dana's number. She needed to be sure.

"Hi. You've reached Dana Scully. I'm not in right now …"

She hung up and dialed the number again and again and again. Mrs. Scully didn't want to believe that her daughter was missing, but there was a part of her that acknowledged the truth long before she received the phone call from Skinner. She could feel it within her, a part that was missing, but she ignored it because it was the holidays and she had been wrong before.

Mrs. Scully stretched herself out on her bed. It was going to be a long day.

December 23rd passed slowly. Bill manned the fort, so to speak, dealing with holiday well wishers that stopped by his mother's house. At nightfall, Bill hurried off to the airport to pick up Charlie and Tara. He informed them of the situation and readied them for what to expect.

Mrs. Scully had emerged from her room by the time they arrived. She was cooking, preparing for the annual Scully Christmas Eve dinner. They tried to pry her away from the kitchen, but Mrs. Scully refused, claiming that the dinner was expected and she couldn't let their relatives down. Tara managed to coax her mother-in-law to wait till the next day.

Christmas Eve rolled around. Mrs. Scully returned to the kitchen and her children helped. They passed the day in silence, trying to keep occupied with their given task. At eight in the evening, relatives and friends began pouring in. Mrs. Scully dismissed Dana's absence to work, not wanting to dampen everyone's spirits. The dinner went of with a hitch. The tree was trimmed and presents were exchanged but not opened. Many stayed after midnight, wanting to ring in Christmas the New Year's way.

And then the phone rang. Mrs. Scully ran to answer it hoping that it was what she was hoping for. It was. She listened impatiently to the man on the other end then promptly hung up. Mrs. Scully grabbed her coat and whispered the news to her children. Together they excused themselves from the celebration and drove off to Maryland State Hospital.

Mrs. Scully jumped out while Bill and the rest of the family went to park the car. She stormed through the emergency room, acting the complete opposite of her usual self. Each nurse she questioned knew nothing of a Dana Scully or Fox Mulder. Every doctor stared at her but refused to help.

Finally, a man who both recognized her and heard her pleas came.

"Mrs. Scully, I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm Assistant Director Walter Skinner. Dana and Fox work under me."

Mrs. Scully nodded, trying to hasten his introduction.

"Where are they? Where is she? Where's my baby?"

Skinner guided Mrs. Scully through the emergency room, passing the sick and the dying, before arriving at large double doors with the word TRAUMA written across. She looked at him with apprehension; she was afraid of what she would find.

"The doctors are working on them. They were brought in a little over an hour ago."

She nodded once more, bracing herself. Before she stepped through the doors, Skinner added one more caution.

"Mrs. Scully, it doesn't look good."

She walked slowly through the double doors and was greeted by chaos. Doctors and nurses ran passed her, oblivious of Mrs. Scully's presence. She looked to her left and saw nothing; she looked to her right and saw a flash of red hair peaking out behind a curtain.

"Dana?"

Mrs. Scully made her way over to the trauma station and nearly collided into a doctor.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. We can't have anyone back here right now."

"No. She's … I'm …"

"Ma'am, are you family?"

She could only nod.

"Okay. You can stay but only for a few minutes."

The world around her suddenly vanished as her walked towards Dana. There was blood everywhere, there were machines everywhere, there were tubes everywhere.

"Where are her clothes?"

"She was brought in like this."

The doctor introduced himself to be Michael Stratford.

"Dana?"

Mrs. Scully reached over for her daughter's hand. It was cold – too cold.

"What happened?"

"I don't know ma'am. Hopefully she'll be able to tell us."

"How bad is she?"

"So far? Her right leg is broken in at least three places. She's got broken ribs, contusions all over, her back is riddled with small puncture marks, there's this cut that you can see here, running the length of her body, but it appears to be the least of our concerns. We're pretty sure that there's internal bleeding and there's also her exposure to the cold to deal with."

"Dana …"

Mrs. Scully bent down to kiss her daughter on the forehead. She still couldn't believe this was happening.

"There was a man who should have been with her. Where is he?"

"He's right next …"

Before Dr. Stratford could continue, he was interrupted by a nurse.

"Doctor! She's not breathing!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you need to leave now."

Mrs. Scully slowly inched backwards, not wanting to leave the only daughter she had left. The doctors and nurses seemed to be moving in slow motion, in fact, the entire world seemed to slow down. All Mrs. Scully could do was focus on Dana. She watched as the doctor administered CPR. She watched as it failed and Dana's heart beat started to die down and it eventually stopped.


	7. Chapter 7

The nurses refused to tell him anything. They were under strict orders, they said, and he would be informed in due time. But it felt like hours ago and Mulder needed to know happened to Scully. The flow of doctors and nurses looked at him sorrowfully which only intensified his need to know.

Eventually Skinner entered the room with a grim look on his face.

"Where's Scully?"

"Agent Mulder, glad to see you're up."

"Where's Scully?"

Skinner glanced around the room, refusing to look Mulder in the eye.

"Where is she?"

"Agent Mulder, before I tell you, I need you to clarify some things for me."

"What things?"

"You were present when Agent Scully drew up her will?"

Mulder let out a drawn out yes.

"So you are aware of its parameters."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Answer my question Agent Mulder. According to Agent Scully's will, she stated that you would be the one who makes the final decision on her …"

"Has it come to that sir? Am I the one who decides if Scully lives or dies?"

"Yes."

"I need to see her."

After much debate, Mulder was finally allowed to see Scully. The nurses helped him into a wheelchair and brought along his saline drip and other medical devices. His body was sore and ached all over but Mulder refused to let the pain get to him.

Skinner had informed him that it had been three days since they were found and brought into the hospital. Mulder's sleep had been medically induced in order to subdue the pain. Visitors had been plenty and the flowers scattered about in his room was evidence of that. Mrs. Scully periodically dropped by to check up on his condition but she mostly stayed near her daughter.

The nurse traveling with him harshly stated that Mulder shouldn't even be up and about as his broken bones were still not well enough and any sudden movement might cause greater damage. She continued to chide Mulder during the entire journey to the ICU, claiming that she did not believe in special treatment for patients, but as soon as she saw Mulder's expression when he first saw Scully, she immediately stopped and quietly apologized.

Mrs. Scully was there, as was the rest of the family. Bill refrained from speaking after laying eyes on Mulder and seeing his sorry state. Charlie introduced himself claiming that it was an inopportune time to finally the infamous Agent Mulder. Mrs. Scully gently embraced Mulder and made clear that she was aware of their current situation. She displayed some obvious disappointment that her daughter would name Mulder as the decider of fate, but Mrs. Scully understood the choice. The Scully family left to leave Mulder alone.

The nurse had placed Mulder close to the bed. He reached out for Scully's hand, filling a need that had plagued him for days. He looked at her, saw the damage done, and wept a bit. Butch had battered her more when he took her away. Mulder could hear her screams – he could feel them. Butch's own men took advantage of Mulder when they were finally left alone. He recalled the thrashing and their pathetic insults that were aimed at him. But he counted himself lucky after surveying Scully.

She was in a coma, on life support – the very thing she did not want. Her doctor stopped by briefly to inform Mulder of Scully's stats. They were wavering between her stated parameters but Mulder already knew his choice. He made a promise to Scully to not let her live this way. Now all he had to do was wait until she either got better or dipped below her boundaries.

Mulder leaned in a bit so he could get closer to Scully and began whispering in her ear.

"Scully, I'm not ready to let you go; no one is. But I promised you all those years ago and I'm a man of my word. If it comes to it, I will not hesitate to give the order but before I do, I need you to promise me something. I need you to promise that you'll try to get better because I don't think I can go on without you. I've depended on you far to long to start going without. You're like a drug to me. A wonderful drug. My miracle drug.

You've made me better, Scully. I'm not ready to let you go but if you want me to, just give me the sign, and I will."

Mulder pressed a kiss upon Scully's cheek and sat there for awhile in silence.


	8. Chapter 8

Skinner slipped into Mulder's room looking for some answers. Two days had now passed since Mulder woke and he still did not mention anything about his and Scully's ordeal. Skinner knew that Mulder was preoccupied with Scully's condition but he still needed to get the facts.

"Agent Mulder, I know the past few days have been difficult for you but I need answers – the bureau needs answers."

Mulder nodded. He composed himself a bit, thinking of the series of events that lead to his current welfare.

He started with the tip from "The Red Mole" then progressed his way to Scully and his captivity. Mulder painfully recounted their encounter with Butch and his colleagues. He explained how they escaped, or rather, explained why they were found.

"After Scully and I were reunited, Butch and his lackeys dragged us into a van. They covered our heads and drove for about twenty minutes. Then they shoved us out into the side of the road. It was dark, but I could tell where we were. 'The Red Mole' was right. It was Martha's Vineyard – the perfect cover up.

They threw out my overcoat as they drove away. I immediately used it to cover Scully. She was icy cold and fading in and out of consciousness. We stayed put for a while, hoping that someone would drive by and notice us, but then I realized that we were on one of the less traveled roads to Martha's Vineyard. I decided that we needed to be on the move, but it was difficult due to our weakened state.

I picked up Agent Scully and carried her in my arms. I started walking. I don't know how long I walked. It always stayed dark. I began to start blacking out, stumbling in the snow, falling one time that I remember of. I just kept on walking, and then I was here."

Mulder paused. He was done with his account but something bothered him.

"I just realized something. I was lead to believe that this entire ordeal has been about the disk that 'The Red Mole' leaked to us, but not once during our captivity did they mention the disk. They didn't ask for it. I don't know if they even looked for it. Damn that disk!"

His eyes meet Skinner's. They conveyed desperation.

"I need you to find that disk. Scully left in that the car that night. She placed in the CD player. I need to know what's on it. I need to know what all this was for … if Scully's life was worth it."


	9. Chapter 9

It was already passed visiting hours when Skinner returned, but he used his FBI authority to be let in. This time, Byers was with him, and as soon as they entered Mulder's room, he began to set up a small workstation.

The disk was where exactly Scully left it. Skinner handed Byers the disk and he started to work. The lone Lone Gunman quickly passed through the layers of encryption until he was slowed down by a passcode he could not break.

"Isn't there a program to run through all the possible password combinations?"

"There is, but there's programming on this disk that prevents that. We need to either guess the password or find out what it is?"

"Is there a way to determine the characteristics of the passcode?"

Byers shook is head. He began typing in random passwords. Mulder – error. Scully – error. Aliens – error. Skinner paced around the room, his mind deep in thought. Only Mulder kept calm. There was something that he recalled from his ordeal with Butch, but for once, his photographic memory failed him. Luckily, there were ways to cure that.

"When Scully and I were brought in, did they take pictures of our injuries?"

Skinner replied with an affirmative and left to retrieve the photos. Byers watched in confusion. Mulder offered no explanation. When Skinner returned, Mulder quickly flipped through the photographs until he found the one he wanted.

"Try 03604."

Byers stared at Mulder in apprehension.

"Just try it."

Byers punched in the numbers.

"Error."

"Fu … It can't be wrong. I know its right."

Byers tried entering the same numbers in different sequences but each came up with the same response.

"It's a code then. The numbers mean something."

"It could … but Mulder, you shouldn't put your faith in this."

Mulder was taken back by Byers frankness. Usually the Lone Gunmen humored him and followed his whims, but he rarely dealt with them singularly. Frohike and Langly were off in New Mexico, following up a lead while Byers opted to stay behind to finish working on his social commentary piece of their next issue.

"Pager code."

"What?"

Mulder never took Skinner to be one who followed trends.

"Pager code. 03604 spells out 'decoy.'"

Mulder started at Skinner quizzically, hoping for an explanation.

"My niece had a pager a few years ago. She'd page me messages using pager code."

Byers sighed and punched in the word "decoy" then hit then "enter" button.

"We're through."

Mulder sat up a bit straighter as Byers began to furiously browse through the sought after data. A few minutes passed, the only noise breaking the silence was the tapping of keys, until Byers spoke up.

"It's a list of abductees. Names, dates, places, and what was done to them."

He turned to the computer over to Mulder so he could take a look. His eyes scanned the information, soaking it in.

"It's a fake. I've seen all this information before on websites dedicated to abductees and their experiences."

"Then why would your source leak you this disk."

Mulder thought for a while, piecing together all the parts of the puzzle.

"He didn't. 'The Red Mole' said that he was apprehended after dropping a disk off at my apartment. Whoever did this to us could have easily switched disks."

"It could also be possible that he was given the fake to begin with."

"Sir?"

"You said it yourself, you were set up. What if this set up goes all the way to the top. It's plausible that 'The Mole' was set up to set you up. We're missing something here. We don't know their agenda. We don't know who "they" are."

Byers and Mulder were both blown away. Skinner was never one to form conspiracy theories.

"Are you implying that our dear friends at the government are behind this?"

"Who else could it be?"

There was truth in that. Mulder and Scully have been hounded by freaks before, demons, psychotics but whenever anything was directly related to their work, only one group was behind it.

"But what did they want this time? They could have easily killed us but they let us go time and time again."

"Obviously they still want you and Agent Scully alive, but …"

A nurse knocked on the door, throwing off Byers' train of thought. Mulder recognized her as the ICU nurse who was assigned to Scully during the night shift.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Agent Scully is waking up."


	10. Chapter 10

Stepping into the dimly lit room, Butch squeezed his cap in his hands. He hated these jobs but it paid the bills. He preferred the physical aspect over the mental. Using his brute strength came naturally but tinkering with the electronics was getting easier. The technology was straight forward enough. Besides, there was an entire team of engineers working beneath him. Butch only needed to know the basics.

He dressed for the occasion, as always. It was important to make an impression on the bosses. With children and a wife to support, Butch needed to utilize every opportunity he had to earn a promotion. He already worked his way up from a supporting role to a string of second in command jobs.

A homely woman appeared in the room, asking Butch to follow her. They made some small talk on the short journey, inquiring about each other's families and health. When they reached the study, the woman knocked on the door and announced Butch.

"Come in."

Butch entered the room and stood until the man sitting at a desk asked him to sit.

"Status report?"

"We managed to work out the kinks. Our mole at the hospital called in an hour ago to inform us that she was beginning to wake up."

"Long term effects?"

"My team has already begun making alterations to the chip. It won't happen again."

"Effects on Agent Scully, Butch."

"She should be fine. The glitch temporarily impeded her recovery. Her body began to shut down, but after we fixed the majority of the problem, she slowly began to recover. The physical damage my men and I inflicted upon her should have no lasting effects."

"And Agent Mulder?"

"He discovered the disk was a fake but nothing else."

"So he doesn't suspect?"

"No."

"What of the rumors in New Mexico?"

"Agent Mulder has yet to catch on."

"Who leaked it?"

"I'm working on it."

"Work on it faster. I don't want Agent Mulder to know yet."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

"Yes. Proceed as planned."

Butch nodded and showed himself out. He bid the homely woman goodbye and pulled out his cell phone.

"Yea?"

"Is everything ready?"

"Just finishing up the last batch."

"Good. When you're done, begin the distribution."


	11. Chapter 11

Scully woke up dismayed at her familiarity with her surroundings. Another deluge of injuries, another hospital. The frequency of their stays at hospitals frightened Scully; sooner or later their luck would run out. But the time was not now as Scully caught of glimpse of Mulder making his way to her room. He was walking slightly hunched over, probably due to the pain in the abdomen. Skinner and Byers followed closely by, switching their focus between the two agents.

Mulder collapsed into the chair when he finally made it to Scully's beside.

"Best workout I had in months."

Scully smiled and reached her hand out for Mulder's.

"How you doing partner?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You're the one who just woke up from a coma."

"But I asked first."

"All right, fine. The wardens let me out once in a while to stretch my muscles but I still can't jump over the wall. Still sore all over, you see, quite a number was done to my baby back ribs."

"Oh god, Mulder, don't talk about food. I'm starved."

"You should be. The only thing you've been feed is the magic nutritional liquid that flows through these tubes."

Scully cracked a weak smile.

"I'm so tired."

"Then close your eyes and sleep."

"But we've already lost so much time …"

Scully's eyes drooped as her voice faded. In a few seconds, she was soundly asleep. Skinner and Byers, in the meanwhile, had consulted with Scully's doctors. They were updated on her condition. During her coma, somehow, the healing process had slowed. Only the cut running the length of her body healed. Additional surgeries were still needed on her broken leg; she would be confined to a wheelchair for at least a month, depending on her recovery.

Two weeks later, Scully was discharged from the hospital; her right leg engulfed by a plaster cast. Mulder helped her pack up her belongings in the hospital and wheeled her outside where they were greeted by Bill. They exchanged somewhat polite greetings but their main focus was Scully. Bill opened the side door to his rented van, and with Mulder's help, managed to maneuver Scully inside without causing pain to her leg. Then Mulder reached into the van and embraced Scully warmly.

"I'll see you soon partner."

After closing the side door, Bill sped away. He wanted to get his sister as far away from Mulder as possible.


	12. Chapter 12

On the drive to their mother's house, Bill Scully noticed a subtle change in his sister. He knew that she was still recovering from her ordeal, but a certain something was missing. The drive was spent mostly in silence, something Dana was not usually known for. Bill tried to bring up something to ignite Scully's vivacity, but he failed horribly. Luckily to drive was not too long, and before Bill dared to bring up Mulder, they arrived at Mrs. Scully's.

She was already waiting outside with Tara. Bill pulled up into the driveway and shut off the engine. Mrs. Scully walked up to the side door, opened it, and greeted her daughter. Scully merely gave her mother a meek smile while waiting for Bill to fold out the wheelchair. Mrs. Scully, too, noticed the change in Dana, but let is pass. She was simply relieved that her daughter was finally home.

Tara went ahead to open the door to the house. Mrs. Scully pushed Dana inside to a supposed pleasant surprise. Though it was already nearly midway through January, Mrs. Scully still kept up the Christmas decorations. The tree was by the fireplace and a pile of presents remained underneath. Tinsel and holly added extra holiday cheer.

"Charlie's sorry he couldn't be here, but he couldn't take off from work too long. He wanted to be here, Dana. We all decided that we should wait for you to celebrate the holidays because it just wouldn't be the same."

Bill went to the tree and retrieved a small box.

"This one's from Uncle Rob. You always liked getting his presents the best."

Scully fiddled with the box for a while, not wanting to open it, but her audience seemed to demand it. She slowly slid off the decorative ribbon and carefully peeled off the wrapping paper. Then Scully took the lid off the small box inside which revealed a gold tennis bracelet.

"He always did give the best presents."

She said this trying to sound enthusiastic, but her family saw right through.

"I'm sorry, Dana. You must be exhausted. We should have waited."

"No, Mom. This … is great. Thank you for waiting, but … I think right now, I just want to sleep."

Mrs. Scully pushed Dana into her temporary room.

"Dad's study."

"It's the only room down here. I didn't want to have you sleep in the living room. See look, Bill brought down some things from your room. I've put a bell here, too, so if you need anything, all you have to do is ring."

Scully took command of the wheelchair and moved herself around the small room.

"Thank you."

Bill lead Tara out of the room, but Mrs. Scully hesitated to leave.

"Dana …"

Scully turned her head to look her mother in the eye.

"Mom, I'm sorry, but I'm just … I'm just so tired."

Mrs. Scully nodded and closed the door behind her. Scully sighed in relief when she was finally alone. She waiting a few minutes before trying to get out of the wheelchair; she wanted to make sure that everyone was far enough way. When Scully was certain, she locked the wheelchair in place and tried to push herself up. The pain in her ribs began to kick in, other sore spots were acting up, and her leg was nearly impossible to move. The cast ran nearly the entire length of her leg.

It was difficult to find her balance as soon as Scully managed to stand up. There was a side table nearby but it wasn't close enough to Scully to easily reach. But she tried to reach for it anyway, hobbling on one leg, while trying to stifle her exclamations of pain. She barely managed to reach it before giving into exhaustion. Scully collapsed to the floor, trying hard not to cry.

She chided herself for not being smarter – for not moving closer to the bed before trying to move. But Scully knew why she didn't do it. She wanted to prove to herself that she was strong enough. Scully could feel it too. Something was different about her and she couldn't explain it. There were a black period in her captivity with Butch in which she couldn't remember anything. He did something to her to change her. Scully just didn't feel right.

After lying on the floor for a while, something caught Scully's eye. She reached out for it and realized that it was the tennis bracelet. It was beautiful, simple and elegant. Uncle Rob always did give the best presents. Scully clutched the bracelet in her hand and brought it closer to her chest. All of the events that lead up to this moment suddenly flashed through Scully's mind. Then she began to cry. Scully had missed Christmas.


	13. Chapter 13

Mulder hadn't seen Scully in nearly a week. It wasn't intentional; it was far from it. Along with being caught up in trying to catch up with bill payments and office work, Mulder received a call from Mrs. Scully asking him not to visit yet. She was vague with details but stated that Dana was constantly asleep. Mrs. Scully sounded worried though she tired to cover it. Nonetheless, Mulder obeyed the elder Scully's plea until he could no longer stand it.

He showed up Mrs. Scully's front door unannounced. Bill answered the door and he immediately began to turn Mulder away, he would not hear it. Mulder pushed his way in where he encountered Mrs. Scully.

"I need to see her."

Mrs. Scully looked Mulder directly in the eye and saw his pain.

"All right."

"Thank you."

Mrs. Scully lead Mulder to Dana's makeshift room. She knocked on the door before entering. Scully laid on the bed, her head turned sideways, apparently sleeping.

"Maybe you should come back …"

Scully suddenly turned her head with her eyes wide open.

"Mulder?"

Her breathing increased and she livened up.

"What took you so long?"

Mulder quickly eyed Mrs. Scully, whose face was turning a slight red.

"I'll leave you two alone."

Mrs. Scully slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Mulder then sat down by Scully's side, immediately seizing hold of one of her hands.

"I've been busy."

"You're lying. Mulder, I know you better than that. It was my mother wasn't it?"

"Yea, but she means well, Scully. She says that you've just been sleeping the days away."

Scully stared at their clasped hands. She lifted up her hand and Mulder's followed. She brought them in closer and kissed Mulder's hand.

"Lay down with me."

Scully moved towards one side of the bed, creating room. Mulder took his place then turned to face Scully.

"Scully, what's wrong?"

"You can see it too?"

Mulder used his free hand to push away the hair that covered Scully's face.

"I can feel that something's wrong with me, Mulder, and I can't explain it. I think … Butch … did something to me."

"Scully, did he …"

Mulder couldn't bring himself to say it.

"No. He didn't. But he did something, I know it. I just feel so tired, Mulder."

"You just need to rest."

"Mulder, I've been resting. I've been sleeping nonstop and I just can't get enough of it."

Scully was breaking down. She stopped for a brief moment to compose herself then started talking again.

"But there's something else that's been on my mind."

"Scully, what is it?"

"There's something I want you to have."

"Scully …"

"Mulder, please, you're not making this any easier."

Up to this point, Scully had brilliantly fought back the tears, but she could no longer. The water leaked from her eyes as her face contorted. Mulder did his best to wipe away the tears with his free hand. It was the only thing he could do. He had never seen Scully cry.

"There's a closet in my hallway and in it are some Christmas presents. There's a box addressed to you. I want you to take it. I want you to open it."

"Scully, you didn't have to …"

"Mulder, please promise me. Promise me you'll take it because I don't know how much longer I can go on like this."

"Oh Scully …"

Mulder moved closer to Scully. She finally let go of his hand, but only so he could wrap his arms around her. Mulder could feel her sobbing against his chest. He was at a loss of words, so instead, Mulder said Scully's name over and over again, as if it had become a mantra. Eventually, Scully fell asleep. Mulder carefully freed himself from her and kissed her on the cheek before leaving.


	14. Chapter 14

Mulder sat on a bench in the middle of Washington Park. He had not been there since he and Scully were taken, and was a bit apprehensive of his surroundings at first. He was not entirely sure of why he chose to come back to Washington Park, but the location seemed right for the task at hand.

The box had been in the hallway closet, exactly as Scully said. What Mulder held in his hands now was what was inside the box. The letter-sized envelope seemed innocent enough, but he was afraid of what was inside. Hesitantly, Mulder lifted up the sticker that sealed the envelope and pulled out its contents. Two pages of white paper filled with Scully's handwriting threatened to fly away as Mulder quickly scanned the lengthy letter.

After reading it the first time through, Mulder leaned forward and planted his face into the palms of his hands.

"Scully, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Mulder sat back and read through the letter again, this time thoroughly.

"Dear Mulder,

I will rue the day when that name no longer has meaning to me. I will rue the day when you suddenly become 'Fox' instead of 'Mulder.' Your last name has become a term of endearment to me as I am sure mine is to you.

Over these past couple of years I have felt myself become someone, at times, completely unrecognizable to myself. Though I try hard to follow the conventions of science, I find myself swept away in your theories and your passion. I realize that often it may seem that I am constantly at your back, questioning your every move, but truth be told, it is because I am afraid. I'm afraid of what you may find. I'm afraid of losing the conventions that ground me.

Mulder, every day when I go to work, I find myself transported into a different world. In this world there are no pretenses. There are no walls and no masks and no forgiving because there is understanding. I believe that our relationship has been built upon understanding and faith. The understanding that we each must do what we believe is right and the faith that we will both pull through.

And now it is on this understanding and faith that I will reveal something that I have kept inside of me for too long. I hope, Mulder that you will not turn your back on me once I say what I mean to say. Everyday you go looking for manifestations of your truth, but I find my manifestations of truth in you.

I have been in love before so I know that what I feel with you is nothing of that sort. It is higher and more powerful. There is something nearly ethereal in our bond. Mulder, I know you feel it too. I can tell in your actions and words. You speak to me differently than to others, but it is not in a condescending way. You speak to me like I'm the only person in the world you can trust. You are the only person I trust too.

I express my feelings in this letter because if I speak them out loud, there is no taking them back. If, somehow, you don't feel the same way, I will understand. If, somehow, you do, then Mulder, we've already wasted so much time.

I have loved you since the day I met you.

Scully."


	15. Chapter 15

Stupid is as Lana Does: I understand your frustration with the line. It was more of a last minute addition, added because it seemed to increase to seriousness of the moment. Yes, most people do not fall in love at first sight, but there is an undeniable connection between the two since the beginning. It may not be called love, but from my perspective, Mulder and Scully seemed to inherently trust each other from the start. (And to some, that trust, may in fact, be called love)

---

Scully sat at the edge of her bed, staring at the lone crutch that lay before her. She wondered where its partner was as she reached for it.

It had barely been a day since she had the massive plaster cast removed. In its place was a supportive brace that Scully eagerly welcomed. Without the cast, she was no longer confined to a wheelchair, but she was still getting used to the crutches. The weeks of near inactivity threw Scully off. Her strength had diminished considerably but that did not impair their stamina.

Scully glanced over at the sleeping form. She hesitated to wake him up, never seeing Mulder sleep so peacefully before. But Scully couldn't deny the facts of nature; she needed to go to the bathroom and she needed help.

"Mulder?"

Scully reached over and rubbed him on the back. Mulder groaned slightly and turned over to face Scully.

"Yea?"

"I need help."

At the words, Mulder shot up straight in bed, crawled over the Scully's side, and saw the lone crutch on the floor.

"I think it's in the hallway."

"I don't think I can wait. I need to go pee."

Mulder kissed Scully on the neck then proceeded to climb out of bed. He then scooped Scully up in his arms and made his way to the bathroom.

"Mulder …"

"When I let you down, can you manage yourself?"

"Yes and thank you."

Mulder lowered Scully till her feet touched to floor and left when she found her balance. Closing the door behind him, Mulder waited by the door until he was sure that Scully was fine. He then went into the hallway to retrieve Scully's missing crutch, reunited it with its partner, and placed them by the bathroom door.

Clothes littered the usually clean floor and finding himself suddenly awake, Mulder began to pick them up. After picking up a shirt by the window, Mulder noticed that the drapes were pulled open. It was still night time out as Mulder sheepishly glanced around to see if anyone had caught the show. Luckily, the streets were deserted and the lights flickered on and off. Satisfied, Mulder casually looked out straight ahead at the apartment building across the street.

While gazing about, he thought he saw a small red light penetrate through the window, but before he could take a second look, Scully emerged from the bathroom.

"What are you looking at?"

Scully saw her crutches by the door and eagerly grabbed them.

"Nothing."

Mulder moved towards Scully and embraced her.

"You ready for another go?"

Scully asked this teasingly.

"I'm just glad that you're here and that we're here, in our relationship."

Mulder planted a kiss on Scully's lips. After reading her confession, Mulder wanted nothing more than to be with her. He too had feelings undeniable, but never knew how to manifest them in words and take the chance. But now, Mulder had no more reason to wonder at what could be. Everything he wanted, he had.

"Me too."

The two broke apart from their embrace. Mulder needed to pee too.

"I'll be quick."

Mulder left Scully standing in the middle of her bedroom. She heard the door click shut behind her and Scully moved towards the window. As she made the actions to close the drapes, she noticed some movement in apartment directly across hers. Scully took it for nothing, passing it off as a stranger's bout with insomnia. Her attention was redirected by the bathroom door opening.

Scully quickly turned her head to see Mulder emerge from the bathroom.

"Wow, Mulder, that must be a …"

Scully collapsed to the floor, her crutches falling on either side. Mulder ran to her side, wondering what happened, not prepared for what he would find up close.

"Scully?"

The moonlight provided ample light to survey the form before him. There was blood everywhere. Scully's breathing was ragged and her eyes darted back and forth.

"Mu …"

"Hold on, Scully, hold on."

She managed to grad hold of Mulder's arm before he could dash off to call 911.

"I … you …"

"Scully?"

Mulder checked her pulse. He checked and rechecked and rechecked again. He wouldn't believe it. He refused to believe it. Scully was dead.


	16. Chapter 16

After this one, Mulder swore to himself, he would be done. All of the leads he followed concerning Scully's death answered nothing. The official police reported stated that Special Agent Dana Scully was shot with a sniper rifle, and based from the trajectory, it came from the apartment across the street. The bullet ripped through her body, nicking a major artery, causing near instant death.

The inhabitant of the apartment across the street had a solid alibi. On the night of Scully's death, he stayed at a motel, nearly 30 miles away, for personal reasons. He would not divulge what those reasons were but he did have the receipts and the witnesses to prove his innocence.

What the witnesses and the receipts failed to reveal, however, was the fact that the man was bribed that afternoon to hand over the keys to his apartment for an undisclosed reason. The briber casually handed over a wad of hundred dollar bills to the man, indicating that he wanted use of the apartment for the night. The occupant of the apartment willingly complied; always glad to have extra funds.

But Mulder knew none of this, and nearly six months after Scully's death, were swore to himself that the search would be over. The leads were dying down and Mulder admitted to himself that he needed to move on. He was not abandoning Scully, but he needed to get on with life. Everyone around him noted that his spark was gone. What was the point of anything? Even if Scully's death mystery could be solved, what would that bring him? Scully would still be gone and Mulder would still be alone.

So this was the last straw. The meeting place of choice did not help ease Mulder's apprehensions. Though he visited the cemetery frequently enough, Mulder could never get over the chills of being near Scully's grave. He glanced at his watch, taking note of the time. It was still early.

"I hope you forgive me, Scully. I know I'm giving up, but it's not like before. I can't get you back."

Mulder crouched down and ran his fingers over the lettering on the headstone. This was all that was left of her. This was her mark on the world – a headstone.

Mulder was reminiscing his last days with Scully when and sudden onslaught of lights blinded him. A car with no disregard to the nearby graves pulled up. A man emerged from it, carrying two shovels.

"Agent Mulder, I thought we could use a bit of a head start. This might take awhile."

Mulder stared in disbelief. His hand accepted the shovel that was given to him, but when the man began digging, Mulder nearly lost it.

"What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What are you not doing? This will go faster if we both pitch in Agent Mulder. Six feet is mighty deep."

Mulder grabbed the man's hand, forcing him to stop.

"What are you doing?"

The man looked Mulder in the eye. There was something familiar about this look that troubled Mulder.

"First tell me who are you."

The man leaned on his shovel.

"Forgive me. I was under the impression that you wanted answers to Agent Scully's death."

"What? I do, but what does digging up her grave have to do with it?"

"It has everything to do with it."

"Tell me who you are."

"I am the Red Mole."

"What? I saw the Red Mole. You're not him."

"That's where you're wrong Agent Mulder. That man you saw nearly a year ago was a follower of mine, willing to risk his life for my safety. I knew that they were after me, but I also knew that they did not know how I looked. When I received a copy of that disk, I sent my follower, Simon, to deliver it to you.

Our enemies mistook him for me, and he had his instructions. Simon played his role well. He fooled everyone. I took his death as an opportunity to freely explore some leads. I discovered, as you did, that the disk was a fake, filled with information that can be easily found on any website.

What surprised me the most, Agent Mulder, was that this ploy ran so deep. You and Agent Scully were, in a sense, destined to meet Butch and his cohorts. But you were fated to survive the pain. Believe me when I say that Butch could have easily killed both of you on the spot.

But that would have ruined the plan. They needed Agent Scully alive."

The Red Mole fished through his pockets until he found what he wanted.

"That's …"

"Agent Scully's chip."

"What?"

Mulder was confused. He wanted answers but all he was getting were more questions.

"Agent Scully is apart of a test group, chosen primarily because of her rank and involvement in the conspiracy."

"Test group for what?"

"A new chip."

"But Scully is dead. How can she be part of the test if she's dead?"

"That's why we're digging, Agent Mulder. Now I suggest you stop asking questions and start digging. I'm not as young as I used to be and you certainly appear to have degenerated a bit."

The Red Mole dug his shovel into the dirt, heaving the unwanted earth to the side. Mulder watched for a few moments, trying to absorb all that he was told. He took another glance at this watch. 11:46. He began to dig.

In about two hour's time, the Red Mole's shovel struck upon the lid to Scully's coffin. Twenty minutes later, the two men managed to clear away the rest of the dirt and skillfully pulled the coffin out of the ground. Mulder stared at the box, breathing heavily, afraid of the Red Mole's reasons.

The old man had no reservations, however. As he lifted the lid off the coffin, Mulder prepared himself for the smell, but mostly for the shock. He had seen exhumed bodies before, but it was never someone he knew.

The lid was off and Mulder instinctively turned away. But there was no smell. The August air was not strong enough to blow away the repugnance. Mulder turned back around to see why, but it was what he did not see that surprised him the most.

Scully's coffin was empty.


	17. Chapter 17

The ground beneath him was not the soil he expected, but a cold white floor. He did not know where he was or how he got there, but Mulder knew that he was in the presence of an old acquaintance.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Agent Mulder."

"Butch."

Mulder pushed himself off the ground only to be greeted by an intense case of vertigo.

"Where am I? How did I get here? What happened to …"

"Agent Scully?"

Mulder was silenced for a second. He was thinking of the Red Mole.

"I have no intention in harming you Agent Mulder, if you comply with me. I will gladly show you where Agent Scully is."

Butch walked across the room. Mulder did not take his eyes off him. Butch knocked on what Mulder supposed was door of some sort. The entire room was white, from ceiling to floor, and there was no sign of any entrance of exit. Everything was perfectly blended together.

A small hole in the wall opened, and a box was slipped through. Butch thanked the man and returned to Mulder. He handed him the box. Mulder did not open it.

"What do I have to do?"

Mulder now switched his focus between Butch and the box. Seeing that Mulder would not open the box, Butch did it for him. Inside was a gun.

"All you have to do is shot her."

Mulder nearly dropped the box.

"What?"

"All you have to do is kill her. That shouldn't be too hard for you Agent Mulder. You know where to aim."

"I can't."

Mulder lifted the weapon out of the box, thinking for a moment that perhaps, he should aim it at Butch. But before he could act, there was a buzz and this time a full length door opened.

A sorry excuse for a body was pushed through the door, which closed as soon as it was through. At first Mulder did not recognize who it was, and if it were not for the red hair, he doubted if he would have ever recognized Scully. She had thinned beyond recognition – a walking skeleton. Her bones showed painfully through her skin, eyes sunken in and devoid of life. The color was gone her but her hair had managed to stay as vibrant as ever.

Upon seeing Mulder, Scully's immediate response was to try and cover up what was left with her. All she wore was a hospital gown, ten sizes too big.

"Mulder?"

Even her voice had weakened, but it was her, Mulder had no doubt. It was still Scully.

"Do it Agent Mulder."

"Do what?"

Scully looked wildly around before she noticed the gun in Mulder's hand. Then she saw Butch reach to his back and pull out another gun that he aimed at Mulder.

"Do it."

Mulder gazed intently upon Scully. He had barely gotten her back and now Butch was asking him to take her away again.

Butch cocked his weapon.

"I can't."

"Mulder, do it."

"What?"

Scully's eyes pleaded with Mulder. Just as Mulder could not watch Scully die before him, she could not watch him fall victim to Butch.

"Trust me."

"Do it Agent Mulder!"

"Trust me."

Mulder lifted his weapon and closed his eyes. The shot rang throughout the white room and a body collapsed to the floor.


	18. Chapter 18

Mulder collapsed to the floor, somehow managing to stay on his knees. The gun fell from his hand as he stared at the struggling figure in front of him.

Butch walked by, picking up the fallen gun, and placed a hand on Mulder's shoulder in an attempt to fake sympathy.

"I knew you couldn't do it."

He stepped over Scully's body before exiting the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Mulder moved to Scully's side, unconsciously placing his hands upon the wound, try to staunch to blood flow.

"Come on Scully. I just got you back and I'm not losing you again."

Scully moved her arm, reaching out for Mulder.

"It's no use Mulder. There's no getting out of here."

"I'm not going to let you go. Not this time, not ever again."

Mulder's voice faltered. Scully's eyes fluttered and she winced in pain.

"It's okay. Everything will be fine …"

Scully's voice faded and her already pathetic grip on Mulder's arm loosened. Her eyes closed and Mulder checked her pulse. She was not dead but Scully was not far from it. Not knowing what else to do, Mulder easily lifted Scully up onto his lap and cradled her limp body.

He did not know where he was. He did not know why he was brought here or why Scully was still alive. Everything about her current state of being said that she was not being taken care of. She had the frame of a severe anorexic. Mulder guessed that Scully possibly weighed less than 100 or even 90 pounds – so why was she still alive?

It was not to say that Mulder wasn't grateful for a chance to be reunited with Scully, even for a short moment. But the series of events that had lead up to this moment did not fit together. Butch was back into the picture again, but was he really ever out of it? What was his role in their ordeal? Primary instigator or a mere pawn?

And then there was the role of the Red Mole. The mere thought of him disgusted Mulder. He blamed the mysterious man for everything. The disk, the supposed meeting, and digging up Scully's grave. Whether the man at the cemetery was the real Red Mole or not, if he was dead or still alive, Mulder refused to care. He was tired of being lead by that name, but there was something he could not shake. The Red Mole had mentioned that Scully was a part of an experiment to test a new chip.

A new chip for what?

But Mulder's attention was diverted when he could not feel Scully's breath upon his skin. He checked for a pulse, felt a beat then another, more than a few seconds apart, and then he felt it no more. Mulder brushed away stray hairs from Scully's face and tried to imagine her as she was, but to no avail. The gaunt figure in front of him would haunt him forever.

He bent over the still body. She wad dead, but Mulder could still feel the warmth from her body. He did not know what to do. Normally Mulder would have begun mouth to mouth resuscitation, but the loss of blood and the state of her being told Mulder to just let her rest. He could not even begin to imagine the past six months of her life.

"I love you Scully."

Mulder placed a kiss on her lips and brought her closer to him. Butch would have to fight him for her body when he came. Mulder resolved that he would get Scully home. He would bury her properly.

Without realizing it, Mulder slowly slipped into sleep. When he woke in a few hours, Scully's body was gone from his lap. He looked frantically about him but did not see her right away. It was when he stood up to get a better perspective did he see the small figure hunched in the corner of the large room. Her hair popped in the white room.

Mulder inched closer, confused at the sight. Scully had died in front of him – twice now. What was happening? He soon saw that she was nibbling on a piece of bread that had been slipped through during his sleep. She was savoring it when he called out her name.

"Scully?"

She took another bite from the piece of bread, swallowing and taking a sip of water before doing anything. Mulder moved closer and crouched down beside her.

"Scully."

"I told you it'll be okay."

Scully cracked a smile, either at the statement or at the food; Mulder did not know which one. All he could do was take face into his hands and smile back.


	19. Chapter 19

"I don't understand."

"I don't get it either Mulder. I'm tired and I'm hungry. I'm so hungry. I just … I don't know how much longer I can take this."

They sat together on the floor, Scully in Mulder's lap, her head resting on his chest. She fiddled with the remaining piece of bread in her hands, trying to make the food last.

"Explain it to me again."

"I remember dying that night the most clearly. I could feel the bullet rip through and the pain that followed, but I mostly remember the quickness of it.

Being dead, Mulder, brings you a lot of peace. At first there's just solitude but then there's all this noise and it forces you to stop and look around, because one of the things about being dead, is that you don't go into heaven or hell, you just kind of stay put. You can see everything that happens around you but there's nothing you can do to stop it, so you learn to cope and find peace.

I traveled the world. I saw everything and then one day it just stopped. I was snapped away from serenity and I woke up.

Mulder, I don't know if I told you this, but I woke up in that coffin."

Scully's voice cracked and Mulder held her tight. He tenderly massaged her arms and coaxed her to continue.

"I woke up twice in that coffin. The first time, I was shocked. I didn't know where I was. I was ripped away from death and was put back into the living. It had to be the worse death because it was slow – because there was no where else to go. I screamed, I tried to get out; I even tried to sleep because I thought that if I slept, then maybe the death would be easier.

Suffocation is the worst way to die because the lack of oxygen does things to you. It makes you see things that you don't want to see. When it finally happened, I was so relieved. I couldn't understand why I was brought back, but I was relieved to be dead again.

I began to keep track of the days. The next time, it was four days until I woke up in that coffin again. I remember crying so much because I knew what was going to happen. I knew what was coming. But then I heard voices from above and I started to shout. I banged against the roof of the coffin trying to make as much noise as possible.

I don't remember how long it took, but when they finally reached me, I sucked in the air. I was so thankful and my first instinct was to ask for you, Mulder. I thought it was you who had come to rescue me, but it wasn't."

Scully paused and looked around the room, trying hard to avoid the guilty look on Mulder's face.

"They brought me here and tossed me into this room. For the first few days, I was left alone and I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know where I was – I still don't. And then the tests began. At first it was quick, as if they were just trying to test the theory. Gun shots to the heart, neck, limbs, severed veins, poisons, suffocation.

But then they began to get more creative, drawing out the pain, taking pleasure in my torture. And when they found out that starvation wouldn't kill me either, they stopped bringing food in regularly, and I don't know how long that's been. I can feel what all of this has done to me but I can't escape. I can't rest."

"Scully, what are you trying to say?"

"I can't die Mulder. No matter how hard they try, I always come back. I know what it is that keeps me alive. It's that damned chip in the back of my neck."

Scully paused and Mulder did not want to push conversation. They stayed in silence until Scully decided that she had enough quiet to last her a lifetime.

"Talk to me Mulder."

"What?"

"Talk to me. Tell me anything. It's been too long since I've had a decent conversation with anyone – since I've heard your voice."

"What do you want to know?"

Scully thought for a moment, hesitating at first, but then proceeded with her question.

"How long have I been … dead?"

Mulder pretended to count in his head, but he knew the answer instinctively.

"Six months."

Scully mouthed the words to herself.

"Wow."

"Your mother took the news hard. She collapsed after seeing your body in the morgue. After the funeral, she moved away to live with your brother, Bill."

Scully nodded, taking it all in.

"What are we going to do from here, Mulder? How will we keep on living?"

"I don't know, Scully. I don't know."


	20. Chapter 20

Somehow, they had drifted off to sleep and for the first time in months, they both slept peacefully. It was the unwanted appearance of their reacquainted nemesis that pulled them out of their dreams.

As everything else in the sterile white room, the lights shone proudly white, but something Scully noticed during her captivity was that the hallway lights were yellow. Whenever Butch or some other fiend entered through that mysterious door, the yellow flooded in, bringing with it anticipation.

It was the yellow light that woke Scully and her sudden movement, in turn, woke Mulder. Towering above them was Butch, dressed plainly in khaki, a sign to Scully that no experiments would be done today. He carried a tray piled with some of the most appetizing foods that Scully had seen in months.

Butch put the tray down on the floor and stared at the agents for a moment before leaving.

"My, what a feast."

Mulder picked up the tray and placed it on his lap. He looked intently at each item – apples, a pile of toast, some butter and jam, eggs, and two cartons of milk.

Noticing that Scully was not as eager as he was, Mulder restrained himself from digging in.

"What's the matter Scully?"

"Something's not right."

"What do you mean?"

"This food … they've never given me anything like this before."

"You're afraid that it's tainted."

Mulder stared longingly at the tray but eventually pushed it aside.

"So what do you think they're up to?"

"Maybe they're trying to kill you."

Mulder picked up Scully's light tone and decided to continue with the play.

"Death by food poisoning?"

"You know the saying Mulder. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that Scully. I mean, I've had some of your cooking and I must say …"

The sudden flood of yellow light disrupted Mulder's thought. Butch reappeared and was noticeably tired. He gestured towards Mulder and indicated that he wanted Mulder to follow him.

Mulder looked cautiously at Scully as he followed Butch out of the room.

"Eat up, Agent Scully. You'll need the energy."

Butch called out the words as he closed the door behind him.

"Follow me. No questions."

Mulder nodded. However, his mind was preoccupied with trying to find a way out. The hallway he walked down was straight and narrow, the walls as yellow as the lights. The monotony ended with a flight of stairs, and as they climbed, Mulder felt a chill run down his spine. There was something eerily familiar about the place.

As the first flight of stairs ended and another began, Mulder could hear the remnants of a scream permeate through the walls. He knew where he was.

"This is the place."

They stopped halfway through the second flight of stairs. Butch allowed his words to sink through Mulder. He could only guess what he was thinking. Perhaps thoughts of the Mole, the elaborate set up, and the beginning of Mulder's recent troubles.

"Let's keep going."

Butch heeded to Mulder's words. The continued to climbs the stairs until they reached the top door. Butch fished a key out of his pockets and it slipped perfectly into the lock. With a turn and a push, Mulder saw something he did not expect.

The walls were painted with soft colors, a sharp contrast to the bright yellow and whites. Pictures hung from the walls – family portraits and such. There was no doubt that he was in a house, and the cozy yet extravagant feel of the home lead Mulder to conclude that he was, in fact, somewhere in Martha's Vineyard.

Mulder scoffed at the irony.

Butch continued to lead him through the house, walking past things he personally envied. They finally stopped at a closed door.

"In there."

Mulder shifted his gaze between Butch and the door before entering.

The room was dark, the blinds drawn to prevent the sunlight from leaking in. The only source of illumination came from an antique desk lamp.

"Agent Mulder, sit down."

Mulder uneasily complied. The voice was unfamiliar to him and he did know whether or not to take comfort in that fact.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here."

The man paused as he casually lit a cigar.

"Do you smoke?"

Mulder shook is head to indicate the negative.

"Well then, let's get to business, shall we? I suppose you have some idea of what we are trying to accomplish?"

"No."

"What a shame. I thought you were brighter than that. Now I'm beginning to reconsider my course in this conversation. It wouldn't be too fun for me if I revealed everything to you. But I suppose that it's necessary if we are to count of your participation.

Now, I assume that you realize that Agent Scully has been chosen to be apart of a very special experiment - an experiment that will help mankind survive if there were any invasions."

"Invasions? You mean …"

"Quite right. We are not always correct in who our allies will be. The same aliens who provided us with the original chip technology have turned against. It was only recently that we discovered that they embedded a secret code that would have allowed them to take control of any of the abductees at any time. We estimated that they would have attacked within the year.

Luckily, we were already developing a new chip, using some new technology. We had a few tests, but with new time constraints, we decided that it was time for human experimentation. Systematically re-abducting persons, we were able to replace a majority of the chips. Those we were unable to replace were taken out manually.

Agent Scully, however, is the lucky recipient of a, well, shall we say, a better chip. You've witnessed its powers. You know how unbreakable of a woman she is, Mulder. She is invaluable to us."

The man paused, got up from his chair, and walked to Mulder's side.

"This is her destiny. She is the future of the human race. She is our only resistance to the aliens.

And you, Agent Mulder, ironically, are the only thing that makes her happy. You make her feel safe. Remember that."


	21. Chapter 21

When Walter Skinner woke up in the morning, he was not looking forward to the day. The work was getting monotonous, and the one distraction he had in the day was missing. Mulder had been missing for nearly a week, but to be completely honest with himself, Skinner was not surprised. For him, this had been a long time coming.

What did surprise him was what he saw when he opened the door to his apartment is get the morning paper.

"Holy …"

Mulder and some other body were huddled precociously together near the arch of his doorway. Skinner quickly glanced around, suddenly thankful for his early bird habits. None of his neighbors were up yet. No one should have seen this.

Before he could satisfy his curiosity about the identity of the other body, Skinner decided that he should move the two figures inside. With Mulder being on top, Skinner tired to move him first, but found it difficult. Mulder was too heavy.

Luckily the movement had jolted him awake.

"Sir?"

Skinner helped the man up before shoving him inside. He then picked up the other body and closed the door behind him.

"Sir, what's going on?"

"I don't know, Mulder. You tell me …"

As Skinner laid the other figure across the sofa, he realized who it was. But before he could get any words out, Mulder began to explain the entire situation. Skinner listened quickly, though not quite understanding the severity of the story until it was well over.

"So what are you going to do?"

"The only thing we can do. We have to get away. There's nothing left here sir, especially not for her."

Skinner agreed.

"But where would you go."

"I don't know."

Mulder was done talking. He was done living in the past. He now only had the future of think about. But save it for tomorrow he thought as he lay next to Scully. Tomorrow would be the start of the future, but for now, all Mulder wanted was to live in the present.


End file.
